Theory: Was Ronald Dorelaine Autistic?
(Just a fan interpretation, not a claim about Clown or canon.)
Clown has confirmed that Wally, Frank, and Julie are autistic, each presenting differently. Frank is fascinated by observing bugs and likes things to be just so. Julie has an over-the-top personality and expects everyone playing her games to follow the rules exactly. There are also neurodivergent themes throughout Welcome Home (e.g. Poppy showing severe anxiety and agoraphobia.)
There are already several theories that Wally is Ronald Dorelaine, or proxy. Wally's curiosity about everyday things like eating, sleeping, and other ordinary behaviors has always reminded me of a neurodivergent person trying to understand and adapt to a world that wasn't built for the way they naturally think.
Here's my interpretation: what if Ronald Dorelaine himself was written as an autistic creator? Not because we're meant to diagnose him, but because it would fit the story's recurring themes. Maybe Ronald created Welcome Home as a safe haven, where everyone follows familiar scripts, sticks to their role, and nothing is ever "wrong."
If Wally truly reflects Ronald in some way, then his imprisonment inside Home becomes more than just horror. It becomes the story of an autistic creator who built a safe place, only to become trapped inside it, forever looking out at us through the screen, unable to leave the world he created.
Whether or not that's what Clown intended, I think it's an interesting lens through which to read the story.
